Guide
Wall art size guide: how big should art be?
The short answer: art over furniture should be about two-thirds to three-quarters of the furniture’s width, hung 15 to 25 cm (6 to 10 in) above it. On an open wall, hang the centre of the work 145 to 152 cm (57 to 60 in) from the floor.
The rest of this guide puts numbers on that for sofas, beds and fireplaces, with the same painting shown at three real sizes in each.
Already measured? The wall art size calculator takes your furniture’s width and gives the art size, the standard sizes that fit and how high to hang it.
16 × 20 in · 41 × 51 cm
24 × 30 in · 61 × 76 cm
32 × 40 in · 81 × 102 cm
The two-thirds rule
Measure the piece of furniture the art will hang over, and aim for a work, or a group of works, between two-thirds and three-quarters of that width. Narrower than that and the art looks lost; wider and it crowds the furniture.
| Furniture width | Art width | About this wide |
|---|---|---|
| 100 cm (39 in) | 67 to 75 cm (26 to 30 in) | Console table, chest of drawers |
| 140 cm (55 in) | 93 to 105 cm (37 to 41 in) | Double bed, two-seat sofa |
| 160 cm (63 in) | 107 to 120 cm (42 to 47 in) | King-size bed, sideboard |
| 200 cm (79 in) | 133 to 150 cm (52 to 59 in) | Three-seat sofa, US king bed |
| 250 cm (98 in) | 167 to 188 cm (66 to 74 in) | Large corner sofa |
For a width that isn’t in the table, enter it in the calculator.
A group counts as one piece: measure from the left edge of the first frame to the right edge of the last. Keep 5 to 8 cm (2 to 3 in) between frames so the group reads as a whole.
Above a sofa
Most three-seat sofas are 180 to 230 cm (71 to 91 in) wide, which calls for art about 120 to 170 cm (47 to 67 in) wide. One work that size is a large canvas, so two or three smaller works side by side are a common answer. Leave 15 to 25 cm (6 to 10 in) between the top of the sofa back and the bottom of the frame, close enough that the two read together.
Above a bed
Measure the headboard, not the mattress. A double or king-size headboard of 140 to 160 cm (55 to 63 in) takes art about 93 to 120 cm (37 to 47 in) wide. Hang it 15 to 25 cm (6 to 10 in) above the headboard, high enough that nobody sitting up in bed knocks it.
16 × 20 in · 41 × 51 cm
24 × 30 in · 61 × 76 cm
32 × 40 in · 81 × 102 cm
Above a fireplace
Size the work to the mantel: two-thirds of its width is a good start, and it should not be wider than the mantel itself. Leave 10 to 20 cm (4 to 8 in) above the mantel shelf, and allow for anything that stands on it. A fireplace is the natural centre of a room, so this is the place for a single strong piece rather than a group.
16 × 20 in · 41 × 51 cm
24 × 30 in · 61 × 76 cm
32 × 40 in · 81 × 102 cm
On an open wall
With no furniture to measure against, size the work to the wall. A work, or group, about two-thirds the width of the stretch of wall it hangs on looks settled. Hang it with its centre 145 to 152 cm (57 to 60 in) from the floor, the height most galleries use, and keep to that line across a room so works on different walls line up.
Small, medium, large and oversized
There is no official scale, but shops and galleries group sizes roughly like this, measured on the longest side of the work.
| Size | Longest side | Works well |
|---|---|---|
| Small | Up to 40 cm (16 in) | Shelves, desks, beside a door, or grouped with others |
| Medium | 40 to 75 cm (16 to 30 in) | Above a console or bedside table, narrow walls, pairs above a sofa |
| Large | 75 to 100 cm (30 to 40 in) | On its own above a sofa, bed or fireplace |
| Oversized | Over 100 cm (40 in) | Long walls, stairwells, rooms with high ceilings |
Mistakes to avoid
- Going too small. A single 8 × 10 in print above a three-seat sofa is the most common sizing mistake. Between two sizes, choose the bigger one.
- Hanging too high. A gap of more than about 30 cm (12 in) above a sofa or bed makes the art float away from it.
- Forgetting the frame. A mount and frame can add 10 cm (4 in) or more to the width and height of a print. Size the framed work, not the print.
- Measuring the wrong thing. If the wall between two windows is narrower than the sofa below it, size the art to the wall.
Questions
- What size art should go above a sofa?
- About two-thirds to three-quarters of the sofa’s width. For a three-seat sofa about 200 cm (79 in) wide, that is a work or group 133 to 150 cm (52 to 59 in) wide, hung 15 to 25 cm (6 to 10 in) above the back.
- What size art should go above a bed?
- The same two-thirds to three-quarters rule, measured against the headboard. Above a double or king-size bed that is usually 93 to 120 cm (37 to 47 in) wide, 15 to 25 cm (6 to 10 in) above the headboard.
- How high should I hang wall art?
- On an open wall, put the centre of the work 145 to 152 cm (57 to 60 in) from the floor, the height galleries use. Above furniture, leave 15 to 25 cm (6 to 10 in) between the furniture and the bottom of the frame.
- Is it better to go bigger or smaller with wall art?
- If you are between two sizes, go bigger. Art that is too small for its wall is the most common mistake, and it makes the furniture below look heavier.
See your work at its real size before you choose
Upload a photo of the work, add its size, and it hangs at that size in 600 rooms: above sofas, beds and fireplaces. Free, no watermark, no account needed to start.
More guides: Art print sizes and ratios, Art print sizes for Etsy.